Mimetic host shifts in a social parasite of ants: Analytical data of surface semio-chemicals on Maculinea rebeli larvae

This dataset is part of the study of mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants, which is a joint study of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Oxford. It contains the relative abundance data of cuticular hydrocarbons extracted from worker ants of Myrmica sabuleti and M. schencki, and from caterpillars of Maculinea rebeli from two populations at the pre-adoption stage and after being reared by the two ant species. The chemical was analysed from the caterpillars from each region when reared with each ants, by using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MSD). Various statistical analysis was then carried out to compare the differences between groups. It aims to test whether observed regional differences in M. rebeli's host specificity could be explained by variation in chemical mimicry. Detailed research method can be found in Thomas et al. (2013) Mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants. Proc. R. Soc. B vol. 280 no.1751. (https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.2336)